Booster Seat

ABSTRACT

A booster seat includes a seating element which defines an outer seating surface, and a substantially hollow inner region with an opening through which access to the inner region is enabled. At least one seat belt engagement element is mounted on the seating element, rotatable between a deployed position in which the or each element is adapted for releasable engagement with a seat belt, and a stowed position in which the or each element is located above the outer seating surface of the seating element, so as to provide an uneven and unacceptable surface for sitting such that a user would be encouraged to deploy the seat belt engagement elements.

The Invention describes improvements and developments made to a child car booster seat known and described in patent document WO2006030243.

The known design is a combination solution being on the one hand a backpack and on the other hand a child booster seat.

The known design has seat belt guide elements which are moveable between a stowed condition and a deployed condition.

Most critical to function as a child booster seat is ensuring the seat belt guides are deployed.

A further development of the invention is that the seat belt guides stow above the top surface resulting in an uneven and unacceptable surface for sitting such that a user would be encouraged to deploy the seat belt guides.

By way of an alternative, an additional component can be inserted within the cover material which makes the seating surface unacceptable.

A further development and improvement is that the seat belt guides when used in the deployed condition are lockable and secured so that they cannot move during dynamic use.

Dynamic performance is critical to the safety function of the booster seat.

As a further improvement there is added to the container body a cover element comprising a single or series of panels which can be separately applied or encapsulated within the covering material.

A further improvement requires that the body of the booster is substantially open in order to provide accessible and usable space when used as a backpack. However, the body is also a structural element when used as a booster seat so needing to be of limited wall thickness and high strength.

The improvement describes a body element which comprises substantially a smooth, contoured outer surface suitable for sitting on and a ribbed structural inner surface required to resist the deflection effects of the compression forces in dynamic conditions.

FIG. 1 Shows the seat belt guide element in the stowed condition above the seating surface

FIG. 2 Shows the seat belt guide elements in a locked condition

FIG. 3 Shows the outer surface of the seat element

FIG. 4 Shows the inner surface of the seat element

A further development of the invention is that the seat belt guides stow above the top surface resulting in an uneven and unacceptable surface for sitting such that a user would be encouraged to deploy the seat belt guides.

By way of an alternative, an additional component can be inserted within the cover material which makes the seating surface unacceptable.

A further development and improvement is that the seat belt guides when used in the deployed condition are lockable and secured so that they cannot move during dynamic use.

Dynamic performance is critical to the safety function of the booster seat.

As a further improvement there is added to the container body a cover element comprising a single or series of panels which can be separately applied or encapsulated within the covering material.

A further improvement requires that the body of the booster is substantially open in order to provide accessible and usable space when used as a backpack. However, the body is also a structural element when used as a booster seat so needing to be of limited wall thickness and high strength.

The improvement describes a body element which comprises substantially a smooth, contoured outer surface suitable for sitting on and a ribbed structural inner surface required to resist the deflection effects of the compression forces in dynamic conditions.

The following statement sets out certain preferred features and characteristics of the Invention.

The movable seat belt guide elements adopt a stowed position above the main seat surface resulting in an irregular surface.

The covering material enveloping the structural element has encapsulated with the covering material and element creating an irregular surface and which is removable for use of the seating surface.

The movable seat belt guide elements when in the deployed position are lockable.

The structural seating element within the covering incorporates a contours but essentially smooth surface on the outside and upper side and essentially a ribbed and structures surface on the inside and underside. 

1. Seating apparatus comprising: a seating element defining an outer seating surface, and defining a substantially hollow inner region which is bounded on one side by an inner surface of the seating element and on another side by an opening through which access to the inner region is enabled; at least one seat belt engagement element mounted on the seating element, and rotatable between a deployed position in which the at least one seat belt engagement element is adapted for releasable engagement with a seat belt, and a stowed position in which the at least one seat belt engagement element is located adjacent the outer seating surface of the seating element, so as to provide an irregular outer surface.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least on seat belt engagement element is releasably lockable in the deployed position.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer seating surface is substantially continuous, and the irregular outer surface is discontinuous.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer seating surface is substantially smooth.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an outer layer of flexible covering material, arranged to encapsulate the seating element.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim further comprising an outer layer of flexible covering material, arranged to encapsule to the seating element, and a cover element located between the outer layer and the seating element.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of strengthening ribs which extend from the inner surface of the seating element into the hollow region.
 8. Seating apparatus comprising: a seating element defining an outer seating surface, and defining a substantially hollow inner region, which is bounded on one side by an inner surface of the seating element, and on another side by an opening through which access to the inner region is enabled; at least one seat belt engagement element mounted on the seating element, and rotatable between a deployed position in which the at least one seat belt engagement element is adapted for releasable engagement with a seat belt, and a stowed position, wherein the at least one seat belt engagement seat belt engagement element is releasably lockable in the deployed position. 